Worth it to go partially guten free?

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geronimokennels
geronimokennels Posts: 10
in Food and Nutrition
I had a friend tell me that with my metabolism type to try and cut out glutens. I love eating at restaurants, and also with nursing it will be really hard for me to totally cut them out. Is it even worth my time to buy gluten free cereal and crackers and bread if I am just going to be eating them anyway when I am away? I travel a lot!

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  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    What exactly did your friend mean by "metabolism type"? (Is he or she a qualified dietitian?)

    If you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity or suffer from celiac disease then going gluten free is the only way to go but for the vast majority of otherwise healthy people there's been no demonstrable benefit from doing so. It's become popular as a number of Hollywood celebrities have been paid to tell us how wonderful they felt after going gluten free which in turn has sold a bazillion scientifically questionable books.
  • jagwab
    jagwab Posts: 93
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    I wouldn't worry about going gluten free (even partially) unless you have a gluten sensitivity.
    That being said, gluten is in a lot of bready/grainy products so if you cut those out that could be helpful.

    I just don't see the point in eating gluten-free brownies for instance unless you have the intolerance.
    And gluten free products are way crazy expensive.

    Metabolism type?
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    For me, personally, going mostly gluten free (and really completely starch free--no pasta, bread, rice, potatoes) has made me feel like a whole new person. BUT I have a gluten sensitivity. I did notice though that even when I was eating gluten free bread/pasta products, I still didn't feel 100%. Since cutting those out too, I feel sooo much better, my stomach isn't unsettled/bloated feeling all the time, etc. It's been great for me, I'm not low on energy, I eat lots of protein, and I've been losing weight/body fat slowly and steadily.

    That said, that's just me. And I didn't even think to go gluten free until I had a nutritionist and a GI specialist suggest it to me. It wasn't just a random thing I decided to do. If you want to give it a shot, go gluten free for a few weeks. See how your body reacts and how you feel. If you feel the exact same and nothing changes, then there's not much point to going gluten free for you. If you notice a positive change in any way, then it might be worth sticking to. Good luck!
  • BAMFMeredith
    BAMFMeredith Posts: 2,829 Member
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    I just don't see the point in eating gluten-free brownies for instance unless you have the intolerance.
    And gluten free products are way crazy expensive.

    SO true. I was eating these really good GF bagels (Udi's brand, highly recommend for GFers) and I realized they were twice as expensive as the regular whole grain ones my bf got and there weren't as many in the package! When I do bake, I use GF flour, but yes, it is significantly more expensive...another reason why I just went starch free altogether.
  • geronimokennels
    geronimokennels Posts: 10
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    What exactly did your friend mean by "metabolism type"? (Is he or she a qualified dietitian?)

    If you have a gluten allergy or sensitivity or suffer from celiac disease then going gluten free is the only way to go but for the vast majority of otherwise healthy people there's been no demonstrable benefit from doing so. It's become popular as a number of Hollywood celebrities have been paid to tell us how wonderful they felt after going gluten free which in turn has sold a bazillion scientifically questionable books.

    Yeah he is not a nutritionist but is a guru. Just casually talking to him he suggested I try cutting glutens, and eating more lean protien. Granted, since changing my diet I am feeling better. But I don't know it might be in my head or because of something else, like I am not eating as much sugar, either.
  • bashiera
    bashiera Posts: 140 Member
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    The only reason you need to cut gluten is if you have a confirmed gluten sensitivity or Coeliac disease.
  • Phrak
    Phrak Posts: 353 Member
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    the placebo effect is quite powerful which is why you might think your feeling better. I tried cutting out gluten, made life difficult avoiding a lot of food. There is also a lot of cross contamination in the house, and places you like to go out and eat at. Id prefer not to live in a bubble.
  • cheesy_blasters
    cheesy_blasters Posts: 283 Member
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    The only people I know who felt better after going gluten free are people with gluten sensitivities. If you get cramping, bloating, bowel/digestive issues it would probably help. I find that since I'm mostly wheat free now, when I do eat it, it feels so much worse so I would be hesitant to recommend that (partial switch) to someone who had a legitimate condition. You'd still be causing the damage, just at a slower rate.

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